You might notice that Paul put up a post near the inception of Sonic Masala about Woven Bones, the Austin, Texas trio/duo (they are yet to settle on a steady drummer) that thrash out garage psych in all its inherent ugly beauty. And I wasn’t impressed. Which surprised Paul, seeing as proper growling psych rock is a mainstay on my musical palette. However, the track ‘If You're Gold, I'm Gone’ just didn’t turn me on. It sounded like so many other bands that were raping the scuzzed out lo-fi/no-fi sound. So I quickly discarded them.
Fast forward to May, a few months has gone by, and I am a convert. You see, that track was not indicative of what Woven Bones are capable of. Their music is lean, grizzled, flea bitten and more than a little pissed off. There are sonic meanderings that emulate Spacemen 3, Jesus and Mary Chain and their ilk – but for the most part we are talking precise slabs of wails, squalls, snarls and drones, all cobbled together to make a dirty quasi pop song.
Don’t believe me? Fine. I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I haven’t had my forearm twisted in a vicious Chinese burn by the band’s manager, or been given the waterboard treatment by Paul. I just chanced upon their debut album In and Out and Back Again. It is a taut record of dirty, distorted bliss. It is so concise that it pulls up at just on half an hour, and there was no way I was leaving the room until I had another listen. And another. It was that good.
There is nothing better than being born again; to see the light; to be a fully fledged convert. Onward Woven Bones soldiers!
And whilst there aren’t any registered dates for Woven
Bones to appear here in the UK, Id warrant that a visit will be a high priority before the year is out – and I for one will be in the front row. Listen to single If It Feels Alright and belter Creepy Bone, buy the album, and join the brigade.
Woven Bones - If It Feels Alright
Woven Bones - Creepy Bone
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